Plunger lift device



March 5, 1935. s. EVANS I 1,993,266

' PLUNGER LIFT DEVICE Filed May 16, 1933 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PLUNGER LIFT DEVICE Seth' Evans, Houston, Tex., assignorjtoHughes U Tool Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application May 16, 1933,:SerialNo.671,348

' 8 Claims.

My invention relates to the construction of a plunger lift where the plunger is raised from the bottom to the top of the eduction tube by pneumatic pressure.

It is an object of theinvention to provide an apparatus of this character wherein the well casing is employed as the eduction tube and the pressure fluid may be introduced to the bottom of the well through an axially-located air pipe.

I desire to dispense with a special tube for the liquid when it is raised by the plunger, and to employ the air tube for a guide for the plunger.

I also provide a modified form of swab plunger for use with my apparatus.

In the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal view through my swab plunger.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the well casing with my apparatus therein.

Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section through the upper portion of said well casing thus equipped.

The well casing 1 of my improvement extends downwardly in the well into the liquid to be pumped. At a point above the bottom is a guide partition 2, the outer edge of which is fitted between the pipe ends in the coupling 3 in the casing. The partition has fluid openings 4 through the same and centrally of the partition is an upwardly extending stop member, the upper end of which is extended laterally at 5 to form a stop for the plunger 6. Axially of the stop member and partition is an opening to receive the air tube 7.

At the upper end of the casing is a casing head 8 having a lateral discharge port 9 for the well fluid. The casing head is somewhat elongated and its upper end is closed by a cap plate 10. The center of the plate has a threaded opening to connect with the air tube 7. and the connecting line 11 which is adapted for connection with a source of air or gas under pressure.

The plunger 6 is not materially different in principle from the usual plunger employed in plunger lift devices. It has a body 12 cylindrical on its outer periphery to fit loosely in the casing. The interior walls converge downwardly and a valve seat 13 is formed at the lower end. A support 14 for the valve 15 is connected with the body 12 through legs 16 extending downwardly from the collar 7 screwed upon the body. The support 14 is recessed at 18 on its upper side to receive the valve and has openings longitudinally The valve 15 tapers upwardly to engage the seat. It has an axial'guide opening tent slidably about the tubular-post" 20 screwed within v5 the support 14, and connecting with a passage 21 through said'support'i Ihe guide-stems -19 on the valve project below the support 14 and contact with the stop post 5 at the lower end of the stroke of the plunger to close the valve to its seat 13.

As will be clear from the drawing, the air tube '7 fits slidably withinthe post 20 and passage 21 of the plunger and the lower end of said tube is supported axially of the casing by the partition 2.

The device will operate as follows: When the plunger is dropping, the valve 15 will be open and it will sink through the liquid indicated at 25 to the stop 5 where thevalve'wil1 be closed. Air or gas introduced below the plungerthrough the tube '7 will raise the plunger and its load to the surface where the liquid will discharge through the outlet 9 to storage. The gaseous fluid will then also discharge and the plunger will fall. The plunger, on its upward stroke, passes the outlet port and will be stopped by fluid trapped in the upper end of the casing head. The valve 15 will thereby be forced open and the plunger may then fall on its downward stroke.

It is to be noted that the operation of this structure is not essentially different from the ordinary plunger lift structure, but it has been greatly simplified to do away with a separate eduction tube by employing the casing for that purpose. The air tube '7 is comparatively small in diameter and serves to guide the plunger ac curately on itsupward and downward movement. Also it is obvious that when there is sufficient gas in the well, no air tube may be necessary and the plunger construction will be modified to dispense with the air tube in an obvious manner.

What I claim as new is:

1. A plunger lift device including a well casing, a plunger fitting therein and movable by pneumatic pressure from the pumping depth to the ground surface, and an air introduction tube axially of said casing and said plunger, said plunger being slidable on said air tube under plunger being slidable on said air tube under pressure of said air, and a lateral support for said air tube adjacentthe lower end of said casing.

3. A plunger lift device including a well casing, a plunger fitting therein and movable by pneumatic pressure from the pumping depth to the ground surface, a casing head on said casing having an outlet, a closed chamber above said outlet, and an air tube extending axially through said casing head and casing, said plunger being slidable on said tube under pressure of said air.

4. A well casing, a pneumatically operated swab plunger adapted to fall by gravity therein, a.

stop at the lower end of said casing for said plunger, and means extending from the upper end of the well to a point below said stop member, to introduce gaseous pressure fluid axially of said casing to a point below said plunger to raise said plunger to the upper end of said casing.

; 5. A well casing, a pneumatically operated swab plunger movable freely from the lower end to the upper end thereof, a stop member at the lower supported therein, said plunger having an axial opening to receive said tube upon which it is slidable.

6. A well casing, a swab plunger therein, a stop at the lower end of said casing for said plunger, an upwardly seating valve in said plunger, a guide passage longitudinally through said valve and plunger, and an air tube extending axially of said casing and slidably received in said passage, and supported laterally in said stop member for introduction of pressure fluid below said plunger.

'7. A single well casing, a swab plunger therein inside said casing, and means movable in said casing from the bottom to the top of the well, to introduce gaseous fluid into said casing to a point'below said plunger to raise said plunger to the surface.

8. A single well casing, a stop member adjacent the lower end thereof, a plunger fitting loosely in said casing and adapted to move from said stop member to the upper end of said casing, an outlet from said casing, means to introduce pneumatic pressure fluid from the surface to a point below said stop member, and a closed chamber above said outlet in said casing to receive said plunger.

' SETH EVANS. 

